York County, Nebraska - The whole text, 1913 (part 3 of 4)

Daniel Beishline was born in (-olumbia county, Pennsylvania, April 17, 1850, and was one of a family of Levi and Maria (Wenner) Beishline who were natives of the same state; whose i)arental grandparents were Henry and Elizabeth (Yost) Beishline, of German ancestry from Father's and Mother's side, and on the Mother's side were Daniel AVenner and Betsie - name not remembered, was married to Miss Emma J. Coleman of Ashbury, Columbia county, Pa., Nov. 27, 1873. He tried farming in Pennsylvania four years during which time a little girl came to stay with them and was named AV'rnie Maud, she was born September 30, ]85(); they then sold out and came to Nebraska by railroad in January, 1878, arrived in Fairmont and visited with Hiram Ammerman a few days, who had come to Nebraska tlie year before, and lie was a neighbor in Pennsylvania. From there we came to Wm. H. Coleman's, who had homesteaded on section 10, range 4, town 11, a few years priorto that date; a brother of Mrs. Beishline farmed for him fonr years and then bonglit eighty acres of Eailroad land for $5.00 per acre on section 9, and leased 40 acres of School land on section 16. He built a sod house that fall and lived in it one winter without it being plastered and it afforded us shelter for thirteen years; its walls were two feet thick, curtains separated the bedroom from the kitchen. The breaking of the prairie was begun and by the next Spring we sowed forty acres of wheat. More prairie was broken as time would permit until the farm was broken out. In 1892 we built a comfortable farm house which seemed the more pleasant because of the long time it was waited for; we lived through many ups and downs and it seemed like more downs than ups.

We since bought other pieces of land, one forty on section 16 we paid $20.00 per acre for, this was about six years later, and in 1908 we bought forty acres more for which we paid $95.00 ])er acre. Three children came to bless our home in Nebraska as follows: Warren Clark, Jan. 26, 1883; Robbert Ray, April 27, 1890; Mearl Lee, Sept. 13, 1893. Vernie Maud is now married to Edd Ottie and is living on part of the farm. Warren Clark is in Cherry county on a 640-acre homestead, Robbert Ray is with Warren and is looking for a homestead. Mearl is at home helping to run the farm.

M. Burns, the subject of this sketch was born at Pekin, Niagara county, New York, on the 14th day of October, 1837 in a double-log house. At that time, those log houses were very common, the country was new and the people were generallj^ poor. The land was stony and covered with heavy timber that had to be cleared from the land before anything could be grown to suppot the thinly inhabited country. Boys like myself on the farms, before they were hardly in their teens, had to shoulder the ax and help in cutting the timber and clearing the land so that crops could be

It was my ]n'iviloge to attend the district school during the winter months until I had nearly reached manhood; then it was my i)rivilege to attend a private school for two winter terms, where I perfected myself in the higher branches then necessary' to qualify a person for teaching. After I reached my majority, I attended what was then Genesse College, located at Lima, New York, since changed to Syracuse University.

I enlisted on the 8th day of August, 1861, in the 41:th Eegiment of New York A'olunteers' Infantry and went with the Regiment down to Halls Hill, Virginia, as first Regiment of Company B; was taken sick while in camp, and sent to the hospital in Washington, being discharged from the service on the 19tli day of April, 1862. Recovering somewhat from my sickness, I went to Plainfield, Illinois, in the fall of 1863 and commenced teaching, first in country schools and later in graded schools. While living there and teaching, I became acquainted with Miss Malvina C. Hess and on March 15, 1865, we were married. From that union were born two children; Ritey H. and Abbie C, Ritey H. died in 1890, Abbie C. is still living. We came to Nebraska in the S])ring of 1878, on the 15th day of March. My wife having two sisters living in York county, we went directly there and bought some Union Pacific land, in what was then called North Blue Precinct. I built a small house to live in, and then commenced seven years of hard work with a determination to make it win. I i^old the farm in 1885, feeling satisthat I had realized my determination.

In 1880, the people of York and Hamilton Counties honoi-ed me by the election to the State Senate. I came to Lincoln in 1888, and entered the hardware business, I sold it out and went back to York in 1892, in charge of the Farmers and Merchants Bank. Sold that out and came to Uniiversity Place in 1898, where I now reside.

As I review the past years I come to the conclusion that at the time it was wise for me to come to Nebraska. I have seen the ups and downs, financially, that come to most persons in a new country, and a dark shadow came over my life when on the 26th day of September, 1908, I was called to lay away in her last resting place the wife who had been my strength and snpport for so many years. She had gone to her reward, and I am alone in the years that are old. Init there is comfort in meeting my friends of my earlier Nebraska exjoeriences.

I first set foot on York County soil in West Blue Township in the month of November, 1866. I homesteaded in the same township in 1868, being too young to homestead until this date.

When we look back and compare York county now, we old settlers can fully realize the great change that has taken place in the forty-six years that have i)assed. In 1866 it was a vast prairie, almost a desert, with a little timber on the Blue River, with elk, deer and buffalo frequently venturing to the river for water, with the Indians camping on the river banks, and it seeming a paradise to them, with everything that really made it an example of the typical Frontier. Indeed a very uninviting place for the white settlers. No postoffice was nearer than Camden, a little station on the Freight Road in Seward County, located about five miles north of the present City of Crete. The mail was brought to this i)lace from Nebraska City on horse-back.

A change came when the capitol was located at Lincoln. We got permits to establish a postoft'ice on the Blue River. In 1869, the writer had the privilege of carrying the mail from Lincoln to McFadden Postoffice, which was located near the present site of McCool, on pony back. This was a part of the old Star Route Mail System.

My route took in the following Post Offices: Milford^ Camden, West Mills, Beaver Crossing, Blue A^alley and Mc- Fadden. I planned to make the route trip once every week but soiiH'tiiiK'S I failed on account of bad sno\v storms, which woukl till up the ravines and make them difficult to cross, for very few of them were bridged.

One morning on arising, at West Mills, I found that a terrible blizzard was raging which was a common thing in those days. I was already one day behind time and I thought that I must make the rest of the trip that day at all hazards. I started out but liad only gone a little way when I came to a deep ravine, drifted level full. I knew my pony could never break a path through the drift and carry me, so I got off, tied the mail sack on the saddle quite securely I thought, and led the pony through. When I reached the other side I found my mail sack was gone. I knew it would never do to go on without it for I never would dare to go on up the Valley without any mail, so tying my pony to a tree I waded back through the path almost to the other side and found the mail buried in the snow.

I still live on the same homestead that I took in 1868. However, we do not get our mail once a week as then, but instead, every morning it is brought to the door in an automobile. While this is more convenient, it certainly cannot be more appreciated than the mail brought on the old Star Eoute, for that was to a great extent the only touch of the life we had lived in the East, that was open to us .

I was born July 26, 1839, in Erie county, N. Y., and lived there until the breaking out of the war of 1861-65, when on September 16th, 1861, I enlisted in Companv D, 49th Regi- ment, N. Y. Volunteers and went to the war and was soon partaker of the incidents of warfare. A bullet struck me in my chin passing- up into my mouth thus rendering the eating of hard tack an unpleasant task. At another time I was put with others to digging trenches; an accident occured which nearly proved serious. A man behind me in the trench, struck me across my back with his pick, accidentally of course. In the battle at Antietam I was wounded in the. head and was unconscious for some time, when I came to the battle was over and dead soldiers all around me, but at last I was picked up and taken to the hospital; as soon as I recovered I was again at my post of duty. I received bullet wounds at other times, once in getting away from the enemy at Libby prison by escaping between two guards, they fired a shot that entered the calf of my leg which I'll carry to the day of my death. I was discharged the 16th day of December, 1862, on account of physical disability, and laid in the hospital at Annapolis Junction for three months from chronic difficulties caused from exposure in camp and field.

I came back to my ''father's house" where kind friends cared for me most tenderly and I improved quite rapidly. In the Spring I went to farming on my father's farm (my father and mother had moved to town some four miles away). I found it quite lonesome, living alone and I sought a companion to whom I was married on January 10, 1864, a Miss LaDelle Cushman, who has been a devoted wife and mother of four sons and one daughter.

I came to York county, Nebraska, March, 1870, locatingon a homestead on Sec. 22, Town 10, Range 2. I spent a few days looking aound and went into Iowa, where I superintended the building of my uncle's house. After an absence of two months I went back to York State and spent the summer settling up business and getting ready, to go to my western home. I left there the last of August, leaving iny wife and two sons to come later. My wife was convalescing from a severe attack of spinal fever. At Lincoln, Nebraska, I was given a chance to work for the B. & M. R. R. Co., in the bridge and construction gang, from Crete to Kearney; I was with them until we reached the end of the line to Kearney, I then came to York and went to work, superintending car- peuter work. I helped to build the first frame building in York. I put up some forty frame buildings in York, and several school houses in York county. I tried farming on my homestead by hiring the breaking done at four or five dollars an acre, I also put up a frame building 12x20 for a house on my farm and went back to York State for my family, July 26, 1872, returning the last of the month.

The next great event was the "April Storm." The day of the 12th of April had been a lovely day, but as night came on a huge black bank of clouds came up from the northwest, bringing a thunder storm and then growing cold as the north wind came, turning the rain to snow and beating against the windows, and blowing the snow into every crack and crevice. For three days we were without fresh water, as we had no well and it was unsafe to go to the neighbors, we melted snow and kept as warm as we could, burning corn on the ear and wrapping up in outer garments; no meat in the house for three days but the good Lord provided on the third day, in the afternoon the sun came out and looking out the south window on a pile of corn was a prairie chicken getting something to eat. The chicken was prepared and we enjoyed the feast.

We helped to establish a Sunday School in our district school house and had a good attendance of some seventy-five persons. We also had preaching service during the summer by Rev. Broadwell, a IMethodist preacher and homesteader living some four miles west of us. Then the days of grasshoppers in 1873-4. The sun darkened at noonday by the insects; at feeding times how the idolized gardens suffered, even eating into the onion bulbs, stripping trees, bushes and cornfields till nothing remained but bare stalks The prospect was not very promising. One morning we observed immense fiocks of birds which proved to be swallows; they seemed to be feeding upon the grasshoppers. Another morning after a heavy thunder storm the ground was covered with tiny frogs, walking along over them they would crunch and sound like breaking eggshells; never since have we witnessed the like.

towards prosperity, something would take place to discourage and darken our prospects and we come down to the years of helplessness with the satisfaction that we did the best we could within our environments, and now, I bid you adieu.

On the 2nd of September, 1871, we left the town of Lawrenceville, Illinois, for Nebraska, arriving in York county, on the 20th day of September; we made this trip in a covered wagon, and made the same trip in the same wagon and with tlh^ same team of horses from Lawrenceburg, Indiana, the y\ar before; our trip took us through Missouri about three hundred miles, which was not a very pleasant Journey as it was just after the war. Mrs. Robbins and I were alone several nights, I lay under the wagon with my rifle as we did not have a watch dog with us. The first thing I done in York county was to look up a piece of land and go to Lincoln and homestead it; there was no railroad in the county at that time nor was there in Fairmont, as we passed the construction party at Dorchester, there was no railroad in the county. After the Burlington got to Fairmont we did our trading there, but before that time we went to Mill with o.ur grain to Lincoln, then we had grist mills at Milford, later at Beaver (-rossing, then one at Red Lion, and a few years later the town of York began to loom up. Doc Converse began the building of the Union Pacific R. R. as a competing line of the Burlington, no corruption there you see. At that time all the settlers in the county were along Blue River, there were no houses on the high prairie. I did not wait to buy lumber for I had nothing much to buy with; I looked around for the best location I could find and dug a hole in the bank a kind of combination, part dugout with a front made out of nice prairie sod covered with brush and soil, all in one room, there was no parlor, but we left a place on the side so we could build a ])arlor at a more convenient season. That winter we did not live sumptuously - no meat, butter or milk, barley coffee; the next Spring I shot deer, also an antelope, then we had some meat the next fall when I got a dressed hog at Beaver Crossing, it was away in the night before I got home and down about Blue Vale a pack of wolves came after me and I had to fight them off until I got up west of McFadden, they were on both sides of the wagon trying to jump in, I had no gun but they finally left me.

Our next experience was the ''Easter Storm" on the 12th day of April, 1873; a good many of the present settlers will remember this storm in our dugout; we were covered over for three days and nights with a light burning all the time and. we could hardly tell whether it was day or night. There were times when it tried men's souls and temper, but we were in a good humor, if 1 do say it myself, and done the best we could under the circumstances. I should have said that the fall before this I went away down on the Blue and got five bushels of potatoes and a half dozen of chickens and expected to have eggs for sale the next summer. I buried the potatoes and made a nice hen house in the side of the l)ank for the chickens, in the meantime the potatoes all froze and the coyotes came in and just before daylight one morning and cleaned u]) all the chickens, so with the snow storm, grasshoppers, the loss of the potatoes and poultry and l)ut very few neighbors things looked rather discouraging, although we had neighbors that lived within one-half mile of us, Mr. and Mrs. George Brown, but they were in the side of another bank and we did not know they were living there, but we were young then and courageous, and little things like that didn't bother us. I go a well auger and made wells, I was gone from home a week at a time, during this time Mrs. Eobl)ins would be living alone in the dugout with wolves and stray Indians about. Finally we got a sewing machine and several times Mrs. Robbins had to give the Indians demonstrations on this sewing machine. There were no roads then on sections lines, and I can remember when we were coming to York we would take the nearest way possible. At first York consisted of a little frame house and one sod, but now as I stand on Hill Side and look over the city it is surely wonderful to see what a splendid city with its fine buildings and shade trees all built up where forty years ago there was nothing but the raw prairie, but with all our hardships in our pioneer days that we have lived through them without having to go back to wife's folks and we feel fully repaid in staying by York county and sometimes I think probably we ought to be more thankful for what we have and for our health and friends.

Father and mother and we six children drove from Illinois with our old horses, took a homestead June 15, 1866 We first pitched our tent on the Blue River and went to work biulding a dugout, and to get ready for the winter, we had hard winters and lots of snow. This is what made it hard for us, the snow was so deep that a team could not get through, we had to go to Lincoln to get anything at all and no money to get anything with. It was too late to raise anything when we came and there wasn't anything in the line of work to be done, so we had to stay for we couldn't get away. Never will I forget the time when we didn't have enough to eat and many times I heard mother say "I don't know where the next meal will come from." For three weeks we lived on homemade hominy, in the making of which we took the wood ashes to hull the corn and we didn't even have salt to x^our over it; for clothes, we had no shoes, mother made us rag shoes which we six children all wore. . I remember the first pair of shoes I had after we came west to Nebraska. We saw buifalo, deer anteloi)e and wild turkeys, but hadn't anything to shoot them with. There were lots of Indians here then and we were afraid of them at first, they would beg the last mouthful we had and we would give tliem some of what we had for the reason that we were afraid of them and thought they would kill us, that was all we worried about as we had been told that they would kill us if we didn't give them something to eat.

We could catch fish any time we could go to the river and cut a hole in the ice and put*a jnece of red calico on the hook and the moment it was in the water we would have a fish bite; we didn't have anything to fry them in so Mother used to boil them, but we got so sick of boiled fish that we children could hardly look at them. Thank you, no more boiled fish in mine, I can smell them yet and that is forty years ago. I wasn't very old those days but I can remember

But those times were the hajipiest times in our lives, every body was so good and sociable and that is more than can be said of the ]ieople of today, one would divide with the other.

Mr. Nathan Johnson was born Nov. 15, 1840, in Covenenty, Rhode Island, and when four years of age he with his parents moved to West Batavia, New York. Here he grew to manhood, and at the tirst of the war he answered the call of his country, enlisting August 21, 1861 in Company D. 49th Infantry. He was promoted to Sergeant of Captain, Geo, H. Selkirk's Co. Here he served in the Potomac army and was wounded May 4, 1863 at the Battle of Frederickburg, receiving a bullet which he carried to his grave.

On May 5, 1864, he was taken a prisoner during the Battle of the Wilderness; he spent nine weary months in the Southern prison of Florence and Andersonville, and was released February 28, 1865, at Wilkington, North Carolina.

He received his honorable discharge May 22, 1865, at Rochester, New York. At the close of the war he went to Batavia, Iowa. Here he was united in marriage on November 1, 1868, to Miss Eleanor J. Graham. They removed from Iowa to Nebraska in March, 1872. He homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land three miles South of the City of York. The walls of their house were sod with two small windows, dirt roof and the ground for a floor. Five children were born to this union, two dying in infancy. The surviving ones are Mrs. Ruth Wright of Chicago, 111.; Charles E. and Mrs. Gertrude E. Currah of York. Mr. Johnson and wife were in the great Easter storm of 1873, which commenced April 16, and lasted three days. It was the worst storm that ever occurred in the history of the state.

The few settlers with their sod houses and straw barns were not prepared for such a storm, it was of such fury that horses, cattle and people that were out in it perished, Mr. Johnson, to save their cow took it down cellar which was out side of their house. After the great Easter storm came the grasshopper pest, and many other privations that were endured by the early settlers.

One great drawback in those days was that no railroads were in the country and all freight for York had to be hauled from Fairmont. The fuel that was burned was hauled from the Blue river and Beaver creek. Some corn, cron stalks and hay were burned for fuel.

> Nathan Johnson was honored with public office, being elected to the legislature from 1893 to 1895 and also was county treasurer from 1896 to 1900. He filled both of these offices with great fidelity and honor to himself and his friends.

In 1909 his health began to fail and thinking that a change in climate might be beneficial he and his wife left York on December 9, for Kessmine, Florida. For a time it seemed that his health was improving but on the 17th day of January he felt the fatal stroke coming while he was out walking with his wife. They returned to their temporary home and two hours later he died.

His widow returned to York with his body, where it was interred in Greenwood cemetery. So lived and passed away this man of a quiet example, of few words, of a kind and kingly spirit, a brave comrade, a firm friend, an honest official and an obliging neighbor; such men as Nathan Johnson have made York county one of the best governed counties of the state.

^'We were living at Fairbury, 111,, when we made up our minds to go West. We joined a colony that was locating homesteads at Gibbon, Buffalo county. We packed our goods and shipped them to Gibbon, having a promise of reduced freight, George's brother Amos, came down from Joliet and thev started with their teams to drive through.

Geovo-e tliouglit he would let me stay about six months or until he sot some kind of a house for me and the baby. When they crossed the Missouri River they fell in with eight more okrsoldiers coming after homestead lands, among them were ,l()lin Lett, Wm. Cross, Kobert Lytle and Art Drauclier. Ihey went to the land office in Lincoln and were told that there was no government land in York county, so they thought they would have to strike for Filhnore county. In the meantime George and Amos had given up all thoughts ot Gibbon, deciding that it was too far west and the ten old soldiers were going to locate near each other. When they reached Beaver Crossing they met Zachariah Heath, who had been here and taken a homestead and was on his way back looking for work. Tie told them that there was plenty of government land in York county and told them which way to go to find Aikins Mills post office and that Mr Aikins would locate them. When they reached Aikms they lett their lumber wagons and drove on to Hamilton county to look around, where they found Mr. Spafford trymg to bore a well He had got down eighty feet and broke the auger. They were disgusted with the country and the whole bunch and'thev came back and located within a few miles of each other with Aikin Mills as their post office. They then piled up some sod to hold their claims till they could go to Lmco n and file on them. Next they broke out an acre m the northwest corner of our claim and while doing so dropped a few potatoes in the furrow and plowed them under and planted a little corn the same way. They broke a fire guard next to the road then broke on the line between George's land and his brother's (n. hf sec. 8-10-3.) Then they went up one side and down the other breaking as much on one claim as on the other, about ten acres. They had been here about six weeks when George wrote for me to come at once or he would not stay. He had our goods shipped back to Columbus from Gibbon and the railroad was so put out because he did not locate at Gibbon that they charged double rates for shipping them back and he did not have money enough to pay the freight so he broke out ten acres of land for Dr. Greer, who had filed on the southeast quarter of the same section our land was on, and thus secured enough money to pay the freight. George had taken the cook stove, two chairs, a mattress besides some boxes of canned goods, some potatoes.

and seed corn when he drove through. There was a water hole at the back of our homestead in a draw where George set up the stove. He stood two large boxes on end a few feet apart, laid some poles across and then covered them with a quilt to set the table under, which, by the way was another box, staked the wagon cover over it and we slept in it. We lived that way about a week and then they all worked together and l^uilt a sod building for a stable and we lived in it all summer. As I was the first' woman to come thev built ours first, then thev put up sod houses for nearlv all.^

By that time they had learned more about breaking the sod, cutting and hauling it, when it was the toughest to handle, etc. Then in the fall they built a better house for our home. It had windows and doors and a floor in half of it. I put down a rag carpet which I brought with me. We put a lot of straw on the ground and put my carpet in the half that had no floor, but before our house was finished, George, with others, went out west to kill buffalo for meat. My second son was just one week old and I was still living in the stable with blankets for doors and windows. When George had been gone about a week it began to rain and then it turned into snow and we had a regular Nebraska blizzard. The door was in the west and was drifted full so I had to crawl out the window and drag in poles and chop them in the house to keep from freezing. I stayed in bed as long and as much as I could with my two boys (the oldest was two years). When the storm was over Mr. Eberhart sent his oldest son to see how I had stood the racket with instructions for me to come there till George got home, so I took the two boys, one on each arm, and waded through the snow one-half mile while the Eberhart boy carried a little grip. I stayed there several days. When George returned he had plenty of buffalo meat and we got through the winter very well.

George hauled goods from Oolumlpus for Aikins, who in the meantime had started a little store on Lincoln creek (Aikins Mills). The first summer we had no cow, no chickens, no pigs, no milk, no eggs, no butter. In the fall our brother-in-law, 0. D. Keeler, came out and took a homestead. He brought a box as large as he could get checked as bag- gage and my folks sent nie a few tilings to eat, among which was some eggs. We took thirteen to Mrs. Aikins and got them to set them for us and then gave her a dollar for the hen She hatched seven chicks and we brought her home and the second night something caught the hen. I then had to bring them in the house every night for a while, until George tixed a sod coop for them. While George was putting up hay (by the way he broke two acres of prairie for Lem Gandy to pay for a scythe to cut his hay and had to cut it all that way). I crawled on my hands and knees and lifted the sod and picked up the potatoes of which we had three grain sacks full, but when the blizzard came our potatoes froze and so did my chickens. We only had flour enough the first year to make gravy and we lived on corn bread. Poor stuff, too. With no milk or lard, not enough lard to even grease the pan. Afte*' moving into our sod house I went down to the northwest corner w^here our little patch of breaking was, took an old hatchet and chopped holes in the sod and planted some cucumbers, beans and melons. There were quite a number of Indians around begging, so when my garden was ready for use I would get my baby asleep, put him on the bed and run for dear life to pick a few beans or cucumbers for fear the Indians would steal him while I was gone. We gathered wild plums on the creek and as we had no sugar we cooked them with our musk melons into a jam - the melon making the sweetening. In the spring when Keeler came out he chartered a car to Columbus and father sent me *a cow, pig and a dozen chickens and we started in with bright ho])es. We sowed wheat on the breaking and oats on the fire guard, and left a little for garden and everything began to grow and look nice when about the 20th of June there came a hail storm and everything was cut to the ground. We felt pretty blue. George hitched up his team and went to Beaver Crossing where he broke four acres and took corn for i^ay. He brought home with him a kitten, the first cat I had seen in Nebraska. After the hail I re]:>lanted my garden and had some late cucumbers and beans and the corn came out and made a few small ears. That fall my folks sent me a barrel of things, navy beans, dried apples, sweet corn and $2.00 worth of sugar. All this time the settlers hauled all their fuel from the Platte river. It took two days to make the trip. Those who came ahead of us had taken all the creek claims with any timber. Sometimes George could wade around in tlie water on the R. R. land, every other section was R. R. land, and get a little drift wood.

From my dozen cliickens I raised about fifty more so I had about tliirty hens to start in with the next year. George got little ash poles and made, some frames for chairs like the old-fashioned s])lint bottom and I sewed grain sacks on them for seats. We had no bedstead for two years, instead we had stakes drove in the ground and poles laid on them and the fleas nearly ate us.

William Escridge McCloud, son of William Escridge McCloud and Ann Sears McC^loud, was bor.n Jan. 6, 1872, at Moravia, Appanoose County, Iowa. On the maternal side he is of English descent, and on the paternal side he is of Scotch-Irish descent. His grandparents on both sides were born in Virginia. His parents were married in Iowa and lived at Moravia until the fall of 1877 when they sought a home in Nebraska, moving permanently to York County in the Spring of 1878. His father was a farmer and stock raiser.

W. E. McCloud secured his education in the schools of the county which was supplemented with a Business Course at Omaha. After returning from school he engaged in the farming and stock-raising business with his father. He was married December 24, 1896 to Miss Estella Evans of Waco, Nebraska, and took full charge of the farm of 320 acres. There was born to them one son who died in infancy

In January, 1899 he purchased a Meat Market at Holdrege, Nebraska, in ]:)artnership with his brother, C. A. Mc- Cloud. Phelps County not seeming as good to him as York County he sold his interests in Holdrege, and he returned to York County in July, 1900, and resided at Bradshaw, Nebraska, where he bought grain and had charge of the elevator belonging to his brother, C. A. McCloud. In October, 1905, the elevator having been sold he enterod the First National Bank of Bradshaw as bookkeeper. He was promoted and in February, 1906, took charge of the Bank of

Lushton as Cashier. In October, 1906, lie gave up this position and came to York where he entered the Farmers National Bank of York as bookkeeper. This bank had been organized in August, 1906 with C. A. McCloud as President. He was promoted and held the position of Assistant Cashier of the Bank at the time of his election to the office of County Treasurer of York County, November, 1909.

He took hold of the work in this otfice with his usual energy and attention to detail and was able to make a good record. This was attested to when asking for re-election he received the flattering majority of 1285 votes.

The contrast in the development of the County at the present time with its evidences of wealth and prosperity is great when compared to the level treeless prairies of an early day. When going visiting or to market it was possible to start out in the general direction of the place desired to be reached.

Ezekiel Evans, the son of Ezekiel and Mary Jermain Evans, was born in "Baltimore Hundred," Sussex County, Delaware, February 28, 1829. He lived in the first tier of houses near the Atlantic Ocean for a number of years. He "followed the sea" but desiring to improve conditions he left for the west at 26 years of age and settled in Illinois.

He was married to Miss Martha Jane Williams, Septmber 29, 1857, and lived near Warsaw, Hancock County, Illinois, until again the western fever took possession of him and he with his wife and family now consisting of six sons departed for the west and located in York County.

AVhen he came to the county to homestead he came on tlie trjiin as far as Lincoln, then by stage as far as Seward, when it was necessai-y to come the rest of the distance on foot. He homesteaded the Northeast quarter of Section 18, Town 11, Range 1 west, in April, 1872, and brouglit his family in the fall of the same year coming overland in a '*i)rairie schooner." As he was a minister of the gospel as well as a farmer he preached from house to '^soddy" and dugout, swam streams and slept on the broad prairies, while his colts ate the grass growing so plentifully. As the settlers at that time seemed so poor, and he so "rich in the faith that God would care for him" could not ask for the "needful" but obeyed his God with trusting faith. With his trusty fowling piece he killed the meat for his family, increased to ten by the addition of four daughters in Nebraska. Geese, duck, (|uail, rabbit, and chickens were plentiful and and they who cared to hunt could have them for the killing of them.

He was school director in his frontier days in Illinois, and was also now school director in his new home, and built the first school house in his district, Waco township.

With the help of his sons he farmed four hundred acres of land in addition to preaching the gospel. They said it did not rain in Nebraska but that first Lord's Day, after he preached the first gospel sermon in York, it did rain until the water was several inches deep over the ground where our court house now stands. The Lord helped him to Iniiid up six Churches of Christ in York County.

When on his first trip to see the country, he picked up an Indian arrow head, near where the court house now stands. He thought "if the Indian can live here, the white man can." This thought has proven to be true as present prosperity shows.

When he looks back to the Anderson-Ford wedding he thinks the roast turkey tasted as good in that nice dugout as now in the most modern dwelling. At that time when hungry it was easy to get together a few dry sticks, toast a quail, some corn or some rye bread. Then after he had a nap the black horse Jim would neigh and be ready to take his master on to the next appointment.

He later moved to Waco, then in 1901, went back to his childhood home with his wife, leaving the children scattered over the west. After six years Nebraska appealed to him as of old and at the earnest wish of his friends and loved ones, he returned to York in 1907 and there is settled in his own home. He has found that York County is the garden spot of God's creation, and that deep and abundant faith in his Heavenly Father has increased till it is his greatest comfort in his later days and he hopes to rneet his friends where partings are no more.

The people who came to Nebraska in the years of '65 and ^66 and later, can look back and see that since that time the hand of evolution has been busy changing the vast I^rairies that were at one time considered part of the Great American desert to a fertile farming country and homes for thousands. The prairies in those days had a different 'appearance and one looking over them could see as far as the vision of the eye could reach. The monotony was only broken sometimes by a herd of deer or antelope or elk and sometimes buffalo. The grass on the prairie at that time was short and in bunches and where now plenty of hay can be made, then it took a hundred acres to make a ton. The the streams were visited by friendly bands of Indians trapping the beaver and other game which was to be found in abundance. The first Indians the writer ever saw were camped in a grove where now the K. P. park is located and there were about one hundred in the band. An Indian squaw came to our home; she could talk English very plainly and told us where they camped farther ui) the river. The band had lost a child which>was never found. They thought it had fallen in the river and gotten under the ice.

The Ponies and Omaha Indians always had their annual buffalo hunt in the latter part of the summer. They formed an alliance and hunted together so they would be strong enough to fix the Sioux. Their custom was to go west and get around the buffalo and draw them east from the Sioux. This would cause trouble and sometimes there would be fighting. Sometimes the buffalo would be driven as far east as York county and that is the reason some of the first settlers here saw the Indians hunting buffalo on these prairies.

more mill now stands; and when I had gone as far west as the present location of the town of McCool, I saw on the opposite side of the river what I thought to be black cattle, but later learned were buffalo. There were thousands of them and as they ran the vibrations of their hoofs sounded like distant thunder.

There is one other thing that the early settler can never forget and that is the sod house. It was a strong factor in helping to settle this country and if it had not been for the sod house it would have been almost impossible for some of the homesteaders to have lived on their land. The settlers along the streams were anxious to see the prairies settled and when they saw a new black spot on the prairie, they knew there was another homesteader. Yes the sod house was the dwelling, the barn, the church, the school house and dance hall. I have often thought Nebraska should build a monument in honor of the sod house.

In 1865 Elias Gilmore, in company with his eldest son, Jacob Rush Gilmore and Wm. Taylor, left Livingston county, Illinois, for Nebraska, traveling overland with team and wagon. They were delayed at Sidney, Iowa, for some weeks, while waiting for the ice on the Missouri river to become sufficiently stiong to drive over, conse(juently did not arrive in York county until the latter part of December. Leaving the old freight road at the Fouse ranch they followed a dim wagon track westward along the Blue, finding John Anderson with his family already located near the eastern line of the country. Coming west they ate Christmas dinner in Cam]:> on section 6, range 1, just north of the river from where the K. P. camp is now located. After locating their land they returned to Nebraska City, homesteading the same January 1st, 1866, then once again driving across the country to the new homes, began the work of improving them. The nearest postoffice was Camden, twenty-five miles away.

They spent the winter in a small dugout near the river, surrounded by Indians; Mrs. Taylor remaining there alone at one time while J. R. Gilmore made the trip to Nebraska City from wliieh place Elias Gilmore returned to Illinois. The winter proved to be very fine until about the fourteenth of February, when they were visited by a regular blizzard, the snow completely covering both house and barn. In April, J. R. Gilmore, wife and little daughter, Ella- now Mrs. S. J. Dutton, of Davis Creek, Cal., arrived and to them was born June 3, 1866, their second eldest daughter, Lily M., now Mrs. J. E. Hunt, of Bayard, Nebraska. Elias Gilmore had ship- ])ed to Nebraska City, meat, flour and such farming implements as were needed in the new country. During the summer of 1866 David Bussard, A. J. Gilmore, Cris Hollock, A. Deams, Fernando McFadden and Jerry Stanton came from Illinois and located along the river, Jerry Stanton having homesteaded the land upon which McCool is now located.

David Bussard was one of the first County Commissioners and A. J. Gilmore was for some years blacksmith for for the entire county. November 3, 1866, Elias Gilmore with his family arrived, having brought fourteen head of cattle and six head of horses. Afterwards he bought two small hogs from a ranchman on Salt Creek southeast of the present city of Lincoln. This was the beginning of a stock industry that has yielded an abundant harvest. The winter of '66-7 was a very severe one with an immense fall of snow. Food had to be hauled from Nebraska City. Prairie fires had destroyed the already limited supply of hay. Those who remained on their farms during the winter had a hard time but crops were exceedingly good the following year, thus giving encouragement to the somewhat discouraged ones.

A description of the dugout in which the Gilmore family lived a few years will not be amiss, as it is only from the pages of history that this kind of a house will be known to this and coming generations. Dug into a sidehill near the river with a front built of logs, the bank growing deeper towards the back until it was about seven feet. Upon this a few more logs were placed. The floor was made of hewn slabs somewhat smoothed, known as puncheons. The roof was covered with the same over which a few inches of dirt was thrown. A huge fire-place in the end had a chimney built of sod plastered with mud. Rough boards overhead made a low sleeping room for the men. This house was 24 by 10 feet in size and was indeed a home for many land seekers at that time. Sixty-nine found many settling along the river and the prairie lands were also being taken. The timber was used for fuel and sometimes corn stalks were utilized for the same purpose. This was a very wet summer and as the dirt roof failed to keep out the rain a new house became necessary. Mr. Gilmore had raised an abundant crop of both barley and buckwheat. The latter was first taken to the Camden mills, converted into flour, then hauled to Nebraska City and sold for eleven dollars per hundred. The barley also taken to Nebraska City brought one dollar and seventy-five cents per bushel. The wagons were then loaded with lumber for the new house, this being, we think, the first frame house in the county. Native trees taken to Milford and sawed into rough lumber were used for the framework. The price lumber brought in Nebraska City cost there $90 per thousand feet. The building consisted of an upright i)art 24 by 14 with a 16 foot ell and is yet in fair condition on the farm now owned by Boss Gilmore.

Shingles for the school house in district No. 1, were brought from Nebraska City and the first school opened in April, 1870 with Lizzie Lowery as teacher. This district was in later years annexed to district No. 7 and thus lost its identy to some extent. During the summer of 1868 a posoffice was located at McFadden and a year later the Old Blue Valley postoffice opened with J. R. Gilmore as postmaster. Mr. Gilmore also ran a general store until 1873, when he sold out to the firm of Creech & Armstrong, who built the old storehouse yet standing, in 1874, having then to haul lumber from Lincoln only.

Social and religious life was not neglected in those days. The young people from the Fouse ranch to Mr. Waddel's ranch in Hamilton county were well known to each other and frequently met to enjoy a country dance with a zeal unknown today. Perry Caldwell, a United Brethren preacher, living on a homestead in Saline county rode horseback to his appointments and iii 1868 organized a class in the home of David Bussard. This class has had an iininter^ rnpted history and yet meets in Bethel church which was built in 1870. R. S. Manney, Ezekiel Evans and Elder Kilroe organized the Christian church in a school house until 1883 when the present church house was built.

J. W. Rush, whom we think is now the oldest homsteader living in York county, drove through from Illinois in 1872, locating on section 12, range 1. Mr. Rush is a veteran of the civil war and has lately celebrated his ninetieth birthday.

Hospitality was everywhere in evidence in the days of which. we write. Doors were never locked; white men and Indians could alike walk in unannounced, the latter often frightening women and children very much. In the early seventies a man riding a beautiful thoroughbred horse stopped at Elias Gilmore's and asked for entertainment over night, which was, of course, granted. He was a well dressed man, keen and alert, differing in many ways from the travelers of that time. It was noticed that his right hand was usually held under the left side of his coat and though he was a good talker and well informed on current events he was reticent regarding himself.

The sleeping apartment in the house consisted of one large room for the men, containing several beds. The late S. N. C^reech and other boarders occupied beds in this room and were startled when the stranger upon retiring unbuckled a belt containing several revolvers, one of which he calmly placed under his pillow and laid the belt on the table near his bed. The unarmed men in the room made no remarks, but i^jissed a sleepless night. The stranger was up early and after paying liberally for his entertainment, rode swiftly away. Mr. Gilmore remarked, ''Boys, there's something wrong with that man," a fact which became evident when they learned later that they had entertained the noted Jesse James.

Fish and game were abundant in the early days, many deer being killed during the winter of 'G6-7 and also during '68 . After that they became scarcer and only a glimpse of antelope could be seen, Elias Gilmore brought to Nebraska what was perhaps one of the largest breaking plows in the state, being a 2i)-incli lay. To this plow he drove from four to six yoke of oxen with one or more drivers. Mr. Gilmore broke prairie from near Camden, Neb., west for many miles, for which he got from three to five dollars per acre. The first threshing outfit that came into York county was owned by M. Brown of Middle Creek, Neb. He bought the machine in Nebraska City and threshed along the westward road as far as Hamilton county.

In the 8i)ring of 1866, A. J. Gilmore, David Bussard, Wm. Whitaker and Wm. 0. Bussard, came to Nebraska in search of land; they came in covered wagons. After hunting and finding land that suited them they had to return to Nebraska City to homestead said land; then the fall following Wm. O. Bussard, and Wm. Whitaker returned east for their families traveling in the same covered wagons. David Bussard remaining on his homestead but in the meantime he had purchased a very good chance of one Mr. Hall, which consisted of a very good two-room log house, a lot of potatoes and a large sorghum ]:)atch, which sorghum was later made into molasses furnishing sweetening for all purposes. With butfalo, elk, venison, antelope and prairie chickens, without number, sorghum cake made a very good dessert.

David Bussard and A. J. Gilmore located along the Blue river in York County, Whitaker and William O. Bussard going to Fillmore. For a short time after settling, A. J. Gilmore had his blacksmith shop on the old freight road near Fouse's ranch and the next spring took his wife and little daughter, now Mrs. W. T. Decious of York, and lived in a covered wagon on his claim until he broke prairie and planted sod corn, after which he built his house, which was a story and half high, dug in the bank on three sides, built up in front of nicely hewed logs 16x18 with dirt floor and roof, but later on there came a portable sawmill near and lie had native lumber sawed for upper and lower floors after which the house was known as the ''Astor" house on account of its palatial appearance; it also being the stopping place of land seekers and ])eople coming from a great distance to get their smith-work done.

Indians were very plentiful, I remember on one occasion, Mr. Gilmore having gone to mill at Milford, which trip required three days, his wife and baby being alone there during his absence there came to the house an uncommonly large and ugly Indian, demanding something to eat, saying; "You no give me eat, me shoot," taking his gun in his hands and looking very savage. Trembling in every limb, I quickly fllled a jilate with eatables handing it to him, after eating he left saying, "you heap good squaw, good-bye."

Now I will tell you about religious matters: We were without religious meetings until two horsemen rode up to David Bussard's door, which proved to be two preachers, W. T. Caldwell and E. J. Lamb of the United Brethren church. That evening Lamb preached in Bussard's house and the next night Caldwell preached in A. J. Gilmore 's house, after which we had preaching every four weeks. The first class was organized in David Bussard's house by Caldwell. To show you liow the people enjoyed meeting I w^ill relate a little incident which is as follows: Caldwell had left an appointment for preaching at Elias Gilmore 's, when the Sunday came, the Blue river was overflowing its banks but A. J. Gilmore and family wanted to go to church so he tied the wagon bed on, put the spring seat on helped his wife up gave the little girl to her mother and hitched the oxen to the wagon, drove to the river and plunged in, the oxen swimming up stream. The entire congregation coming to the river to see them come over and did the same when they returned home.

Was born in the State of New York, Nov. 24, 1832. In '44 he moved with his parents to Illinois. His father was sick when they landed in Chicago, and he had to hunt the dirty village of Chicago over for a peek of potatoes. In 1857 he commenced preaching on the frontiers of Minneso- ta. For four years lie had to endure tlie privations of a new countr}^ Sometimes he was nearly frozen. He often was obliged to ford swollen streams, and once his horse sank with him three times in a swollen river. Having had some success in church work he was called by Land Commissioner Geo. S. Harris to take a colony into York in 1871. It was called the May Flower Colony. He induced several hundred people to come to York County. He i^reached the first sermon in York in an unfinished store building. There was an audience of 14. The country was new and the j^eople very poor - most of them living in sod houses. In the spring of '72 the Congregational church was organized through his l^ersistent efforts. York grew rapidly though oft' the line of the K. R. For seven years the people had to haul lumber and goods from Fairmont. But handicapped as they were, and without a R. R. they outgrew every town on the B. & M. all the way from Crete to Hastings. The class of people who came to York shaped its future. They made and kept a clean town. A good academy building was put up, it arose as a strong hope out of the despair of the grasshopper days. Then came the great liquor war, when they threatened to kill Mr. Harrison who was the chairman of the executive committee which was very much alive. His life was often threatened and one day two men loaded up with liquor started out to kill him. But they were knocked lengthwise by Henry Seymore, one escaped and the other on complaint of Mr. Harrison lay three months in jail and found it did not pay to be a saloon liench man. The war was fought to a finish, and the people found that decency paid. As soon as it was known that saloons were to be kept out of York, traveling men and others moved in where their boys could be safe. There ^re but few manufacturers in York, people seemed to live on the reputation of the town and how the city grows - beating other towns which had a better start and a better location two to one. Mr. Harrison started a nursery in 1871 and '81 he went to Pueblo, and left it with his sons. And here let me say that these sons bearing and honoring his name have done more to help the city than any two men who have ever lived here. They keep an army of workmen and of agents. They spend most of their money where they make it and last summer put up a fine $10,000 building.

AVhoii about 67 years old Mr; Harrison's health failed. His chureli nerves were worn out. He had been nearly 42 years in active work in the ministry - had built 16 churches and received many hundreds on c<,onfession of faith - had helped found two academies and raised about $100,000 for church and educational work. He had a right to l)e tired, but he had been too busy to make money. When he might have been worth $100,000; he had saved in these long busy years not enough to build a comfortable home. So he started an ornamental nursery on two of the weediest lots in the city. This grew to cover 28 lots. When after ten years he sold a half interest to H. S. King. Since 70 years of age he has published five works on Horticulture, and has another now nearly ready for the press. He has at great pains gathered the best things from Europe and America and now the C. S. Harrison Select Nursery has a reputation reaching from ocean to ocean, and Manitoba to the Gulf. He is still in active work and enjoys his glorious flowers which keep up a procession of beauty from Spring to the hard frosts of Auiuiiiii.

At a ripe old age he is now waiting on the hither shore for the coming of the boatman to bring him to the other side. Most of the co-laborers of former days have already gone over, and at times he is lonely. But he lives among pleasant memories and in glad anticipations of reunions beyond.

C. J. Carlson \vas born in Sweden, November 19, 1811. In the year 1871 he came to America, reaching Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, on August 7 of that year. Here he remained until Fobiuary, 1872 when he started to Nebraska, traveling by wagon. He took a homestead on section 34, township 11, range 3, where he lived for nearly thirty-five years. He was married to Miss Carrie Kaliff on March 19, 1877, who died in March, 1904. On May 14, 1905, he was married to Mrs. Lottie Burke. In September 1906 Mr. and Mrs. Carlson moved to York where they now live at 803 Academy avenue.

but lie lias never regretted coming to the United States for he found much better opportunity for advancement in all ways than in the old country.

Foster J. Parris was born a Vermont soldier. He enlisted at the age of 17, in Co. K, 14th Vermont Vol. In 1872 he came to Nebraska, and liomesteaded on section 6, township 12, range 2, west, and afterwards bought a quarter on Sec. 7 from the U. P. railroad Co. He stood at his post faithfully, through all the hardships of those early days, contending with blizzards, grasshoppers, drought and hail, and succeeded in improving his farm and making a cojiifortable home for his family. In 1875 he was elected Justice of the Peace and was instrumental in helping to distribute the aid that was sent to the needy at that time. In the spring of '75 Mrs. Parris taught in a room of her sod house, the first school that was held in Dist. No 59, and in the spring of '76 the first school that was held in the new school house in that District. In the spring of 1897 Mr. Parris ' sold his homestead and moved to York where he remained until his death May 30, 1905.

When The Grasshoppers Came

One afternoon during the haiwest season of 1874, our family consisting of four members and two visitors, making six altogether, went from our home, in the valley of Lincoln Creek, to the home of Mr. Charles Keckley on the hill, where we were invited to partake of the hospitality of Mr. Keckley and his sister, the late Mrs. Bonar. We were feeling in just the right spirit for a good social time and a rest as our harvest Avas over and we were ready to hei]) our neiiilihois even to the extent of taking supper with them. While still lingering at the table, we noticed that it was growing darker in the west than the time of day would warrant. Fearful of a sudden storm wmcn often took us unawares, the men went to investigate, nothing indicated a storm, except the darkciiiiii;' of the western sky and tin ominons roaring wliiek was alarming. The men climbed to the roof of the house - <lid I say it was a sod house? - to farther investigate. And there there they came, by the millions, the undesirable newconi'-rs: We learnei a day later that devastation lay behind tlieni. The harvest was especially good that year but harvesters were few in number and even though a few had utilized Sunday to save their crops, many fields were still uncut - these the grasshoppers laid waste, then ate the growing corn and the garden leaving nothing but tomatoes and tobacco behind them. But here they came, and as we saw them settle upon our neighbor's cornfields and gardens, our heart sank within us, for we knew our fate was the same. As we proceeded on our way home, much sadder than wlien we left a few hours before, we saw every stem of grass, every garden plant - our splendid garden which had been been our pride and source of supply all summer - and the cornfields and trees all covered black with the army of grasshoppei's, where .they had settled for the night and for so long as there was anything for them to eat. It was little use to try to save anything but a few trees in the front yard to which much care had been given and which if saved would be permanent, were chosen for the experiment, and no sooner were they well settled than a bucketful of cold well water, from the hands of the man of the house would disturb the repose of that particular bunch, and by persistent effort a few of our little shade trees were saved to grow another year. It was almost more than we could believe possible, where everything had been growing and green was the prevailing hue, in a few hours to see here black stems and corn stalks, and those who lost their ripened grain were worse off.

We do not like to dwell upon the hardships but the grasshopper year was one of those which tried men's souls and the courage of many deserted them, and rather than see those dei)endent upon them suffer they gave u}) and went back to their old homes. Tiiose who remained and "stayed by the stuff" were well rewarded. The following winter was a hard one for man and stock, no vegetables of any kind were saved and for a farmer's wife to cook a meal without potatoes was almost impossible, but we did it the grass- hopper year. One substitute was whole wheat much fried brown and eaten with milk. The wheat was taken to the mill and ground coarsely as feed for the stock, horses, cows and hogs, all seemed to thrive upon it, and I know we never tasted more tender or sweeter meat than our hogs produced the "Grasshopper Year." But to go back to our own rations, from this coarsely ground wheat we sifted the finer portions and used it as a variation from the white flour. We did not even have corn meal as I remember, there were "Yankee" or ''Navy" beans as plentiful then as they are now. But the potatoes were the most missed vegetable. I remember when we went to take a Sunday dinner with Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Read and I saw the dish of mashed potatoes placed upon the table I could scarcely wait, and I have no recollection of the other dishes which were accompaniments to and no doubt all as good in their way as were the potatoes. I do not know where they got their potatoes either.

We lived through the winter and when spring came T\ere ready to begin over. Only there was no seed of any kind at hand, and this was the time and place to ask and take assistance from any who were able and willing to give it; and there those who, no doubt, could tell the story better than I.

We were in fear of a return of the grasshoppers as of the horde of young ones which might hatch out, but every l)recaution was taken and crops were raised again, and we were glad we were citizens of Nebraska.

James D. Houston was born at Tullbardine, Scotland, in 1841, and enjoys the unique distinction of being able to trace his ancestry, by printed records back to the Romans and Britons of the Eleventh century. His ancestry were owners of large estates in Scotland, the estates descended for for many generations of the same family, and many were Barons and Knights, in Knighthoods golden days, and the tombs of his ancestors with their letters in marble furnish much interesting history of the family, and with all these helps Mr. Peter Houston, who spent a season in Scotland had very little trouble iu getting a complete history of the family back to the oi-igiii of surnames; some of the names of inheritance he found were so long it would be hard to get an American, in these swift days, to take the time to say, let alone, to learn; for instance we find one that seems to be "Reginaldo filio Hugonis de Padvinan Terarum de Kilpeter cum terra ilia quam Bodricus & Arkenbaldus, fratres ejus tenure. His Testibus; Allano Dapifero Regis Scotiae Waltero Filiosuo, Roberto Croc Reginaldo de Catheart & multisaliis." Which being interpreted, reads:

"To Reginald son of Hugh of Padvinia, of the lands of Kilpeter with that land which Bodrick and Arkenbald, his brothers, held. Witnesses to these things Allan Dapifer king of Scotland, Walter his son, Robert Croc, Reginald of Catheart and many others."

The Plouston Coat of Arins was a Chevron Checquie, Azure and Argent; betwix three Martlets Sable; supported by Hinds, and for Crest, a Sand-glass, with this motto, "In time." Mr. Houston is proud of his Scotch ancestry, and has a Highland suit he, brought with him from his native home, with sword and dagger; he uses a carving knife on state occasions made from a sword taken by a Banner man in a battle with Oliver Cromw.ell in the 16th century, the sword was made into carving knives about a hundred years ago and the one used by Mr. Houston was given to his grandfather and came into his possession, the blade can be sprung double without harm.

Mr. Houston married Mary Lidington, an English lady, in England, February 21, 1867, they came to this country in 1870, first settled in Wisconsin, and in 1871 moved to York County, Nebraska, took up land in New York township, and now own a fine farm of 240 acres, well improved, and the value of his farm and his present surroundings prove the wisdom of his choice. They are the parents of six children, five boys and one daughter, now living.

During the early days in this county they had some interesting experiences. Built a frame house where their son W. B. is now living on Sec. 8 in New York township, hauling the lumber from Lincoln. One day while Mrs. Houston was home alone, and up stairs, she heard some noise down stairs, and on going down to see what it was, first saw two big Indians peeking in a window, she looked in the other direction for a phice to escape and there were three big Indians peeking in the other window. 0 MY! But just then a neighbor came in and Mrs. Houston would not let him go till he pursuaded the Indians to go with him. Mr. Houston says that during the great Easter storm several cattle drifted over the banks of Coon Branch and perished in the snow, and a band of Pawnee Indians discovered them and immediately went into camp and feasted as long as the cattle lasted.

There were many wild animals; Antelope, Elk, Buffalo and Wolves roaming the country when they first settled on their farm, but the most interesting experience Mr. Houston had with the wild animals, was one night he heard his chickens making a fuss, and going out in his night clothes discovered a skunk having a feast on chickens. He picked up a sythe snath and liit the animal in such a way that it landed right on him, he finally killed the animal, but had to go off and bury himself a while before Mrs. Houston would let him in the house again.

Mr. Houston says the homesteaders were always willing to help each other, tells of claim-jumper jum})ing Mr. John H. Parker's claim, and Mr. Parker coming to his father to get money to prove up to hold his land. News of the claim jumping soon spread along the creek, and the settlers gathered at the homestead and moved the jumper out, goods and all, and he was glad to skip with his life from so determined a looking crowd.

J. B. Meehan came to West Blue during the summer of 1871, and was the first squire in the precinct. W. H. Taylor being elected at the same time as constable. The first case in Squire Meehan 's court was in the summer of '71. At this time large herds of cattle were driven each summer from Texas north to various points, sometimes to Yankton, S. D., and as-ain to points along the U. P. railroad where they were shipped east.

The drivers were of the usual Texas "cowboy" variety, wild and reckless, and always an expert in the use of his revolver, an accomplishment he was always willing to demonstrate upon the least provocation. They drove their large herds fearlessly over prairie lands and the homesteaders farms, paying but little attention to the growing crops. A large herd being thus driven over Peter Hellers 's field of sod corn, he brought suit against the foreman of the drivers and Mr. Taylor was ordered to arrest him. The herd liad passed north and being uncertain as to the man's willingness to return peacefully, Mr. Taylor took with him several men of the neighborhood. They overtook the herd men near Beaver Creek, setting his men to keep from sight in a ravine, Mr. Taylor rode on alone, . making his errand known to the man who, of course, swore and said he saw no corn and at first firmly refused to go back, but after talking the matter over with Mr. Taylor he ordered the men to camp and they started on the return trip. Presently,, he stooped and drawing a revolver from his bootleg i)roceeded to show his skill in the use of the same, finding Mr. Taylor not easily frightened he began to look for other game. Presently they came to A. J. Corey chopping wood alone on his homestead. *' Watch me scare that man," he said and riding furiously up to Mr. Corey he pointed the revolver in his face and prefacing his remarks with a volley of oaths, cried, "what do you want?" Mr. Corey looked at the man for a moment and coolly told him he wanted nothing. Returning to Mr. Taylor the man was then requested to turn over his weapon, which he did willingly, then stooping once more, drew anotlier weapon from his bootleg, remarking "now we're both armed." Fearing danger if the man should have the weapon when they came to the other party, Mr. Taylor proceeded to argue the case with the man who finally i^aid, "we will ride u]) to wliore my w^Mgons are; you throw your gun into the wagon first and I will do likewise. This Mr. Taylor did and the -man was true to his promise.

Coming on, tliey rode through the ravine where Mr. Taylor's men were hidden, who remained quiet until Mr. Taylor and his man had passed, then rode up behind them. This incensed the man from Texas who seemed to think he had been tricked. He stopped for a few moments, then remarked with the usual oath, "If I'd known this you never would have arrested me." But being unarmed and one against several he evidently thought it best to show no fighting disposition at that time. Coming to Squire Meehan's a crowd of interested farmers had gathered. This was to them an important case. All had suffered from the depredations of the herds and now it would be decided how their fields should be protected in the future. The man gave testimony that he was only an employee of the cattle company and the case was dismissed, but it served the purpose for coming herdsmen were more careful to avoid cultivated fields, and this ended what was, perhaps, the first litigation in West Bhie Precinct. Another one occurred in a few months wherein a man living near the southeast line of the county was arrested for taking a saddle from Mr. Brower, who lived in Fillmore County. More than ordinary interest was taken in this case from the fact, that Geo. Post, a young attorney, lately located at York, had been employed to defend the accused. Although the day was bleak and cold many had assembled to hear the trial, and were surprised as well as disappointed when the lawyer informed the squire that the case was not in his jurisdiction, the property having been taken from Fillmore County. The man was set free and whether or no he took the saddle has never been determined.

J. W. Push was born in Fayette county. Pa., in 1822, coming to 111. in 1854, when that state was thought of as "away out west." In 1862 at the age of 40 he enlisted in the 129 Reg. 111. Vol., going with Sherman in his famous march "to the sea," and engaging in active service in the last battle of the civil war. In 1872 he again determined to try his fortune in a new state, consequently landed in York county in June of that year, under the law lately coming into effect giving the soldier 160 acres of land. He homesteaded that amount on Sec. 18, Twp. 9, R 1, W. When he and his wife and children proceeded to make a home in the best sense of the word. Mr. Rush had brought with him from Pennsylvania, a love for the fruit tree, and his was one of the first orchards in the county. Several years ago

S. S. Deffenbaugh with his wife and two children came -from Wyoming, 111., in 1874, arriving just a few weeks before the grasshoppers made their first destructive visit to the homesteaders, this little army, no doubt, had often rested on the plains of York county, when their sustenance was only greens and the bark and leaves of the few trees that grew only along the rivers, but now conditions were changed, delicious corn and vegetables were awaiting them, and it took only a few hours for the devastating army to destroy all that the hopeful farmers had in store for the the coming 3'^ear.

That was one of the dark pictures of Homestead Life. It meant suffering for many fathers and mothers who had sacrificed much for their children, and now perhaps, they must hear them cry for food, and here allow me to say that such would have been the case more frequently if it had not been for the relief sent from the East; but even this visit from a destructive enemy did not discourage Mr, Deffenbaugh and his worthy companion. They had come west to get a home; the spirit of progress and enterprise was a rich heritage to them. The beautiful home in which they now live, tells its own story, and speaks in stronger language than can the pen of the writer of the valiant industrv of Mr. and Mrs. S. S. Deffenbaugh.

Among those who settled along the Blue during the summer of 1866 was Nicholas Nye, an eccentric man who delighted in being called "Old Nick." Going one day into the home of Mr. Ong, he found no one home but Grandma Ong, quite an aged lady. "Madam," he said, "did you ever hear of the Old Nick?" "I certainly have," she replied. "Veil den, here you see him," he said, in his quaint Pennsvlvania Dutch accent.

Mr. Nye always claimed that cooking food was an unnecessary trouble, and therefore ate his vegetables raw, with meat and iish as a desert, in the same condition.

Hiram Schnebley arrived in West Blue in 1873, and located on the same section with Mr. Eush. Mr. Schnebley 's coming to Nebraska was purely accidental. AVhen a young man living near New Salem. Ohio, he caught the western fever everywhere prevalent at that time and joined the tide of emigrants pouring into Nebraska and Kansas. Coming to Lincoln, then nothing but a village; with a future, he found his money gone and proceeded to walk westward, arriving at E. Gilmore's he learned of the one homestead still vacant, which, because it was a rough 80, no one had taken it. Immediately returning to Lincoln, he filed on the land, thus gaining time in which to earn the money necessary to homesteading, by working during the summer months and teaching school in the winters. He improved his land upon which he still lives.

Mr. Schnebley is known throughout South York county by the name of the Berry-man, he having what is probably the largest small fruit farm in the county, which he values about ten thousand dollars.

W. H. Taylor, who had raised a small crop of oats during the summer of 1867 found the same unthreshed in the spring of '68. Clearing off a small spot of ground he called his neighbors in and proceeded to thresh in a primitive woy, that is by putting the oats on the ground and driving the horses over it - not much like the steam threshers of today. Towards evening two men rode up and informed them that they had followed a band of Indians, who had stolen their horses, from Kansas, and that the Indians were in camp

Knowing it was best for settlers to keep on good terms with the Indians, the men hesitated to go, but after several more men bad joined the band they proceeded to the Indian camp. The men from Kansas were evidently used to dealing with the Indians. The leader left all the men but the one who had come with him hid in the bushes, with orders to remain quiet unless tbey should bear shooting, then to be ready for action. The other man was placed a gun behind a tree and the leader advanced unarmed to the camp. Calling the Chief aside he explained his mission and demanded his horses. The Chief turned and spoke to bis tribe, instantly four warriors came out with bow in one hand and an arrow held between each finger of the other. This meant fight. The man behind the tree stepped out with his gun aimed; this was enough for the chief, it frightened him into submission, he ordered his braves back and told the men to get their borses. The men in ambush were told to watch lest the Indians follow, but no attempt was made to do so.

The Indians who came through the country at this time had no desire to have trouble with the homesteaders. Tbey frequently passed with horses which they claimed to have stolen from the Sioux, and it is supposed that tliej' sometimes captured some from the whites. If so, perhaps they were only doing what the white men sometimes did with them; onh' repeating a lesson toft well learned from their dealings with the "Pale Face."

Christmas, 1866, was a great event in the pioneer home. No doubt memories of by-gone days, with far away, friends, made the people lonely, and somewhat homesick. But the children must have their pleasures, and the Christ- mas dinner must be prepared. A fowl for the festive occasion seemed an absolute necessity, but tlie chickens who had made the journey from Illinois, in coops fastened on the hind part of the wagon, must not be sacrificed, so they were dependent on the wild turkey for the Christmas dinner.

Levi Dean, (Father of Mr. N. A. Dean of York), had come west during the summer and was making his home with Elias Gilmore, he was an expert marksman, having learned to shoot game among the hills of old Somerset county, Pa., and to him the family 'looked for the Christmas turkey. Early on the morning of December 24, he took his gun, an old fashioned rifle, and started in pursuit of his game. Soon finding a large flock of turkeys, he shot and killed two birds with one bullet; we mention this fact because we think it has never been excelled, and rarely equaled in the county, even by the modern sportsmen with their improved guns. Thus the Christmas was a success. Other delicacies may have been absent, but the turkeys were the one important factor. The old dugout decorated with wild berries gathered from the timber; with the bright fire in the huge fireplace, took on quite a festive air. The candy brought from Nebraska City, for the children supplemented by taffy made from the sorghum that had been brought from Illinois, made the children happy, and the families of J. R. and Elias Gilmore remember this "First Christmas in Nebraska" as a happy one.

Mr. Dean did not lose his reputation as a hunter after that Christmas feat was accomplished and shortly afterwards he killed a wild cat, the only one the writer ever saw, and perhaps the only one ever killed in York county. It was a magnificent animal, symmetrical in form, and beautiful in coloring. Christmas time also brings to us a memory of the first Indians we ever saw. Soon after the holidays a band of Indians camped west of the house; the coming of the Red Men had been the event most dreaded by the children. We had heard Indian stories, gazed on Indian pictures until even our dreams were colored by visits from them. Father had gone to Nebraska City for supplies thus adding new terror to the situation. "There comes an Indian, crossing the river on the ice," someone said, mother with a pale serious face went to the door, determined to show hospitality even to an Indian, Even now, in thought, we can see our youngest brother, W. C. Gilmore, as his chubby form disappeared under the bed, while we were trying to decide if it would be better or more safe to hold on to our mother's dress skirt or follow our brother, but finally decided that the dress skirt or mother's presence offered the most protection. The Indian proved to be an intelligent squaw who could talk English fairly well, and our fear of the Red Men was overcome to such an extent that we enjoyed their frequent visits thereafter. Although their custom of entering the house unannounced often frightened the women folks. In the absence of J. E. Gilmore at one time during that winter, his wife and two small children and Mary Gilmore, now Mrs. A. G. Corey of Fairfield, Nebr., were alone, suddenly the window was darkened, and a big warrior Chief was calmly looking into the room. Seeing that he was observed he opened the door, walked in and sat down by the fire. Noticing a butcher knife on the table he asked for it - of course his request was granted - then he took out a whetstone, and began carefully to sharpen the knife. The women were badly frightened, but knew it was best to remain in the house. After getting the knife in a satisfactory condition he went to the mirror and proceeded to cut the whiskers from his face. This was his way of shaving.

In 1865 Elias Gilmore in company with his eldest son, Jacob Rush Gilmore and Wm. Taylor left Livingston county, 111., for Nebraska, traveling overland with team and wagon. They were delayed at Sidney, Iowa, for some weeks while waiting for the ice on the Missouri riv^r to become sufficiently strong to drive over, consequently, did not arrive in York county, until the latter part of December. Leaving the old Freight Road at the Fouce Ranch, they followed a dim wagon track westward along the Blue.

Finding John Anderson and his family already located near the eastern line of the county; coming west they ate Chrismas dinner in camp on section 6, range 1, just north of the river from where the K. P. Camp is now located; then locating their land, returned to Nebraska City, homesteading the same Jan. 1, 1866. Then once again driving across the country to the new homes began the work of improving them. Their nearest P. 0. was Camden, 25 miles away. They spent the winter in a small dugout near the river, surrounded by Indians. Mrs. Taylor remaining there alone at one time, while J. R. Gilmore again made the trip to Nebraska City, from which place Elias Gilmore returned to Illinois.

This proved to be a very fine winter until the 14th of February, when they were visited by a regular blizzard, the snow completely covering both house and barn. In April, J. R. Gilmore, wife and little daughter Ella, now Mrs. S. J. Button, of Davis Creek, California, arrived and to them was born, June 3rd, 1866, their second daughter, Lily M., now Mrs. J. E. Hunt of Bayard, Nebr.

Elias Gilmore had shipped to Nebraska City, meat, flour and such farming implements as were needed in the new country. During the summer of 1866, David Bussard, A. J. Gilmore, Chris. Hollock, A. Decius, Fernando Mc- Fadden and Jerry Stanton, came froin Illinois and located along the river. Jerry Stanton having homesteaded the land upon which McCool is now located. David Bussard was one of the first County Commissioners, and A. J. Gilmore was for some years blacksmith for the entire county.

November 3, 1866, Elias Gilmore with his family arrived, having brought 14 head of cattle, 6 head of horses with him, and afterwards buying two small hogs from a ranchman on Salt Creek, southeast of the present city of Lincoln. This was the beginning of a stock industry that has yielded an abundant harvest. The winter of 66-7 was a very severe one, with an immense fall of snow. Food must be hauled from Nebraska City. Prairie fires had destroyed the already limited supply of hay. Those who remained on their farms during this winter had a hard time, but crops were exceedingly good the following year. This giving encouragement to the somewhat discouraged ones.

ily lived for a few years will not be amiss, as it is only from the pages of history that this kind of a house will be known to this and the coming generations. Dug into the hillside near the river with front built of logs, the bank growing deeper toward the back until it was almost seven feet, upon which a few more logs were placed. A floor made of hewn slabs, smoothed, sometimes called 'puncheons' the roof was also covered with the same, over which a few inches of dirt was thrown, a huge fire place in the next with the chimney built of sod, plastered with mud. Rough boards overhead made a low sleeping room for the men. This house was 24x16 ft, in size, and was in truth a home for many land seekers at that time. '69 found many settling along the river, and also prairie lands were being taken, the timber being used for fuel, and sometimes corn stalks were utilized for the same purpose.

This was a very wet summer and the dirt roof failed to keep out the rain, a new house became necessary, Mr. Gilmore had raised an abundant crop both of barley and buckwheat, the latter was first taken to the Camden mills, converted into flour, then hauled to the city and sold for $11.00 (eleven dollars) per hundred. The barley also taken to Nebraska City, brought $1.75 per bu.

The wagons were then loaded with lumber for the new house, this being, we think, the first frame house in the county. Native trees taken to Milford and sawed into rough lumber was used for the work. The pine lumber bought in Nebraska City costing there $90.00 per thousand feet. The building consists of an upright part, 24x14, with a 16 ft. ell, and is yet in fair condition on the farm now owned by Boss Gilmore. Shingles for the school house in Dist. 1, were brought from Nebraska City, and the first school opened in April, 1870, with Lizzie Gowery as teacher. This district in later years was annexed to Dist. No. 7, and thus lost its identity to some extent. During the summer of '68 a postoffice was located at McFadden, and a year later the Old Blue Valley P. O. opened with J. R. Gilmore as P. M. Mr. Gilmore also run a general store until 1873, when he sold out to the firm of Creech & Armstrong, who built the old stone house yet standing in 1874, having then to liaul the lumber from Lincoln only. Social and religious life was not neglected in those early days. The young people from the Fouce ranch to Mr. Waddle's homestead in Hamilton county, were well known to each other and frequently met to enjoy a country dance with a zeal unknown today. Perry Caldwell a U. B. preacher, living on a homestead in Saline county, -rode horseback to his appointments, and in 1864 organized a class in the home of David Bussard. This class has had an uninterrupted history and yet meets in the Bethel church, which was built in 1879. Rev. S. Menny, Ezekiel Evans and Elder Kilroe organzied the Christian church in 1872. This congregation met in the school house until 1883, when their present church house was built. J. W. Rush, whom we think, is now the oldest homesteader living in York county, drove through from Illinois in 1872, locating on sec, 12, range 1. Mr. Rush is a veteran of the civil war and will soon celebrate his 90th birthday.

Hospitality was everywhere in evidence in the days of which we write. Doors were never locked; white man and Indian could alike walk in unannounced, the latter often frightening women and children very much.

Albert B. Chatterton was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 1st, 1857. Came with his parents to Nebraska in October, 1865. His father, Henry Chatterton, in December of the same year, homesteaded a quarter of land in section 8, township 9, range 1, in York County.

Here Albert grew to manhood, working on the farm in the summer and attending school in the winter, in the first schoolhouse built in the county in District No. 1.

In the fall of 1875 he went to Battle Creek, Michigan, where he attended college for two years, after which he returned to York County where he farmed and taught school.

when with his wife and little daughter moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Mr. Chatterton rnn a grocery store in Cheyenne for about two years, when he sold out his business and with his family returned to his father's old homestead in York County.